Musculocutaneous nerve

Hello, everyone! This is Matt from Kenhub, and in this tutorial, we will discuss the anatomy and innervation of the musculocutaneous nerve.

The musculocutaneous nerve is a major peripheral nerve in the upper arm.

It supplies the biceps brachii… the brachialis… and the coracobrachialis. The lateral cutaneous nerve, which supplies the skin on the lateral aspect of the forearm, arises from the musculocutaneous nerve.

The musculocutaneous nerve originates in the lateral cord of the brachial plexus. It starts in the axilla and cuts through the coracobrachialis muscle near its insertion point on the humerus. It continues anterior to the brachialis and dorsal to the biceps brachii, serving as innervation for all these muscles.

The musculocutaneous nerve emerges laterally to the biceps tendon where it gives rise to the lateral cutaneous nerve, which supplies the skin on the lateral aspect of the forearm.

It is of interest to know that the musculocutaneous nerve can have a varied anatomical course, and it often adheres to the median nerve and interacts with it.